Postal service licensing fines

A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to inspect, repair, maintain and protect facilities of public postal networks; b Failing to build and develop public postal networks according to the planning approved by a competent state authority; c Failing to install centralized mailboxes at multistoried apartment buildings or office buildings; d Failing to install public mailboxes in urban areas or residential areas.

A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Causing damage to any public postal works; b Using specialized vehicles for rendering public postal services inconsistently with the order of priority established by a local authority.

Remedial measures: Enforced restoration of initial state which has been changed due to the commission of the violation in Point a Clause 3 of this Article. Violations against regulations on postal service quality and postage rates 1. A fine ranging from VND 3,, to VND 5,, shall be imposed for improperly or insufficiently declaring quality criteria of postal services other than public postal services.

Violations against regulations on postage stamps 1. A fine ranging from VND 3,, to VND 5,, shall be imposed for using foreign postage stamps to prepay postage on postal items sent domestically or from Vietnam to a foreign country. Additional penalties: a The exhibits and instrumentalities used for committing the administrative violation in Point d Clause 4, Point a or b Clause 5, Point a or b Clause 6, Point a or b Clause 7 of this Article shall be confiscated; b Foreigners shall be deported from the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam if committing the violation in Clause 8 of this Article.

Remedial measures: a Enforced return of benefits illegally obtained from the commission of the violation in Point a, b or c Clause 4, Point a Clause 5, Point a Clause 6, Point a Clause 7, or Clause 8 of this Article; b Enforced destruction of articles in case of commission of the violation in Point a Clause 4 or Clause 8 of this Article.

Violations against regulations on telecommunications license 1. A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed for setting up a telecommunications network and providing telecommunications services without giving an official notification of operation of telecommunications network and provision of telecommunications services to the Ministry of Information and Communications as prescribed.

A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for deliberately altering or erasing the telecommunications license. A fine ranging from VND 70,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for establishing a private telecommunications network or conducting trials of telecommunications networks and services without a valid license.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for establishing a public telecommunications network, rendering telecommunications services or installing submarine telecommunications cables without a valid license. A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for fraudulently obtaining or providing false information for obtaining the telecommunications license. Additional penalties: a The telecommunications license shall be confiscated in case of commission of the violation in Clause 2 of this Article; b The exhibits and instrumentalities used for committing the administrative violation in Clause 3 and Clause 4 of this Article shall be confiscated.

Remedial measures: Enforced return of benefits illegally obtained from the commission of the violation prescribed in Clause 4 or 5 of this Article; Article Violations against regulations on announcement of and changes in telecommunications license 1. A fine ranging from VND 5,, to VND 10,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to publicly announce all contents of the license to provide telecommunications services; b Failing to publicly announce all contents about the modification or renewal of the license to provide telecommunications services; c Failing to publicly announce contents of the license to provide telecommunications services within the prescribed period or failing to publish the same on 03 consecutive issues of a daily printed newspaper or an online newspaper and the website of the Ministry of Information and Communications; d Failing to publicly announce contents about the modification or renewal of the license to provide telecommunications services within the prescribed period or failing to publish the same on 03 consecutive issues of a newspaper.

A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to publicly announce contents of the license to provide telecommunications services; b Failing to publicly announce contents about the modification or renewal of the license to provide telecommunications services.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for failure by the licensee to fulfill commitments made with the licensing authority. Additional penalties: The telecommunications license shall be suspended for a fixed period of 22 — 24 months in case of commission of the violation in Clause 5 of this Article. Violations against regulations on license to establish private telecommunications network 1.

A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed for providing services to entities that are not members of the private telecommunications network. A fine ranging from VND 70,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for operating the private telecommunications network for business purposes.

Additional penalties: The license to establish private telecommunications network shall be suspended for a fixed period of 01 — 03 months in case of commission of the violation in Clause 1 or Clause 2 of this Article. Remedial measures: Enforced return of benefits illegally obtained from the commission of the violation in Clause 2 of this Article. Violations against regulations on license to trial telecommunications network and services 1. A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for failing to complete trial dossier or submit report on trial results to the Ministry of Information and Communications upon the completion of the trial.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for implementing the trial plan against the issued license. Additional penalties: The license to trial telecommunications network and services shall be suspended for a fixed period of 01 — 03 months in case of commission of the violation in Clause 2 of this Article. Violations against regulations on license to install submarine telecommunications cables 1.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for providing inaccurate or insufficient information on the submarine telecommunications cable routes for Ministry of Information and Communications. A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for building and installing submarine telecommunications cable routes inconsistently with the diagrams or coordinates of cable routes licensed by a competent authority.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Doing works other than survey, installation, maintenance and repair of telecommunications cable routes within the territorial waters of Vietnam; b Performing the survey, installation, maintenance or repair of submarine telecommunications cable routes without permission from a competent authority.

Additional penalties: a The license to install submarine telecommunications cables shall be suspended for a fixed period of 01 - 03 months in case of commission of the violation in Point a Clause 3 of this Article; b Foreigners shall be deported from the territory of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam if committing the violation in Clause 2 or 3 of this Article.

Section 2. Violations against regulations on telecommunications services agencies 1. A warning or a fine ranging from VND , to VND 1,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Establishing terminal systems at locations other than the agreed ones under the telecommunications service agency contract; b Failing to provide telecommunications services within prescribed time frame.

A fine ranging from VND 2,, to VND 5,, shall be imposed for failing to provide necessary information on telecommunications services to users. Remedial measures: Enforced return of benefits illegally obtained from the commission of the violation in Point a Clause 3 of this Article. Violations against regulations on use of telecommunications services and subscription 1. A fine ranging from VND 70,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for using telecommunications services for performing prohibited acts in telecommunications sector.

Additional penalties: The exhibits and instrumentalities used for committing the violation in Clause 1 of this Article shall be confiscated. Remedial measures: Enforced return of benefits illegally obtained from the commission of the violation in Clause 1 of this Article. Violations against regulations on ownership in telecommunications services 1. Additional penalties: The telecommunications license shall be suspended for a fixed period of 22 - 24 months in case of commission of the violation in Clause 2 or 3 of this Article.

Violations against regulations on competition in telecommunications sector 1. A fine ranging from VND 50,, to VND 70,, shall be imposed upon a telecommunications enterprise holding a dominant market position or holding essential facilities for failure to punctually provide other telecommunications enterprises with technical information concerning such essential facilities or commercial information necessary to provide services.

A fine ranging from VND 70,, to VND ,, shall be imposed upon a telecommunications enterprise holding a dominant market position or holding essential facilities for taking advantage in telecommunication network or such essential facilities to obstruct or cause difficulties to other telecommunications enterprises in implementing their market penetration strategies or providing telecommunications services.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Use of information obtained from other telecommunications enterprises by a telecommunications enterprise that holds a dominant market position or essential facilities for unfair competition purposes; b Practice of cross-subsidization by a telecommunications enterprise that holds a dominant market position or essential facilities for unfair competition.

Violations against regulations on dispute resolution in telecommunications sector 1. A fine ranging from VND 30,, to VND 50,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to provide sufficient information and evidence to the Ministry of Information and Communications for conducting negotiations between the parties; b Failing to enter into negotiations at the request of a competent telecommunications authority.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for failure to enforce the dispute resolution decision in force of a competent telecommunications authority.

Additional penalties: The telecommunications license shall be suspended for a fixed period of 22 - 24 months in case of commission of the violation in Point b Clause 1 or Clause 2 of this Article. Section 3. Violations against regulations on establishment of telecommunications networks and provision of telecommunications services 1.

A warning or a fine ranging from VND , to VND 1,, shall be imposed for failure to publicly post instructions for use of telecommunications services and numbers of emergency telecommunications services, directory assistance services and troubleshooting support services for fixed-line telephone numbers. A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed for failing to provide necessary information on telecommunications services to users, telecommunications service agencies and Internet agencies.

A fine ranging from VND 30,, to VND 40,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Providing telecommunications services inconsistently with the telecommunications license; b Failing to strictly comply with regulations on resale of telecommunications services.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Establishing a telecommunications network inconsistently with strategies, planning, technical regulations and standards; b Establishing a public telecommunications network, private telecommunications network or private radio telecommunications network for foreign diplomatic missions, consular missions, or representative offices of international organizations in Vietnam against regulations of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for installing telecommunications networks for illegally transmitting in any forms the traffic of telecommunications services from Vietnam to a foreign country and vice versa.

Additional penalties: a The exhibits and instrumentalities used for committing the administrative violation in Clause 8 of this Article shall be confiscated; b The telecommunications license shall be suspended for a fixed period of 22 - 24 months in case of commission of the violation in Point a Clause 3 or Clause 6 of this Article. Remedial measures: Enforced return of benefits illegally obtained from the commission of the violation in Point a or Point b Clause 5, Clause 7 or Clause 8 of this Article.

Violations against regulations on public-utility telecommunications services 1. A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Performing propagation or advertising activities leading to the misunderstanding that public-utility telecommunications services are supported by enterprises; b Failing to send notification of prices of public-utility telecommunications services which are within the price bracket announced by the Ministry of Information and Communications at least 03 working days before the decision made by the telecommunications enterprise comes into force; c Failing to send the financial contribution plan in the planning year to the Vietnam Public-utility Telecommunication Service Fund VTF and Ministry of Information and Communications within the prescribed time limit; 2.

A fine ranging from VND 30,, to VND 50,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to supply public-utility telecommunications services according to the list of public-utility telecommunications services; b Issuing invoice for public-utility telecommunications services without sufficient information as prescribed; c Failing to issue a decision on prices of public-utility telecommunications services which are within the price bracket announced by the Ministry of Information and Communications; d Failing to send notification of prices of public-utility telecommunications services which are within the price bracket to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

A fine ranging from VND 50,, to VND 70,, shall be imposed for failing to make statement of financial contributions made to VTF within the prescribed time limit. A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to prepare and send the estimate of costs of providing public-utility telecommunications services to the Ministry of Information and Communications; b Failure by a telecommunications enterprise that holds a dominant market position or essential facilities to register for performance of tasks of the Program for supply of public-utility telecommunications services; c Failing to send the financial contribution plan in the planning year to VTF and Ministry of Information and Communications; d Failing to determine and report on the amounts payable in the year to VTF; dd Failing to separately monitor and manage revenue from provision of services of which providers must make financial contributions to VTF; e Providing public-utility telecommunications services to ineligible users.

A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to pay financial contributions to VTF within the prescribed time limit; b Failing to make full payment of financial contributions to VTF; c Failing to make statement of financial contributions payable to VTF. A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Using funding granted under the Program for supply of public-utility telecommunications services by for wrong purposes; b Failing to pay financial contributions to VTF.

Additional penalties: The provision of new subscriber numbers shall be suspended for a fixed period of 03 — 06 months in case of commission of the violation in Clause 3, Point d Clause 4, Point c Clause 5 or Point b Clause 6 of this Article. Remedial measures: a Enforced recovery of improperly spent funding in case of commission of the violation in Point a Clause 2, Point e Clause 4 or Point a Clause 6 of this Article; b Enforced payment of unpaid contributions to VTF and interests on late payments which are calculated according to the highest interest rate on demand deposits announced by the State Bank of Vietnam SBV at the time of penalty imposition in case of commission of the violation in Clause 3, Point d or dd Clause 4, Clause 5 or Point b Clause 6 of this Article.

Violations against regulations on mobile number portability 1. The following fines shall be imposed for the commission of one of the violations in Clause 1 of this Article: A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed if the violation involves 06 — 10 subscriber numbers; b A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed if the violation involves 11 — 15 subscriber numbers; c A fine ranging from VND ,, to VND ,, shall be imposed if the violation involves 16 subscriber numbers or more.

Remedial measures: a Enforced return or transfer of amount of charges collected against regulations in case of commission of the violation in Point c Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article; b Enforced provision of telecommunications infrastructure facilities to meet connection demands and access updated information on the number portability database in case of commission of the violation in Clause 3 of this Article.

Violations against regulations on termination of supply of telecommunications services 1. A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failure by a telecommunications enterprise, that does not hold a dominant market position or essential facilities, or provide public-utility telecommunications services, to send notification of termination of supply of some or all of its services to the telecommunications authority at least 60 days before the planned date of termination; b Failing to notify service users or related parties of termination of supply of telecommunications services or failing to publish the same on means of mass media at least 30 days before the official date of termination.

A fine ranging from VND 30,, to VND 50,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failure by a telecommunications enterprise, that does not hold a dominant market position or essential facilities, or provide public-utility telecommunications services, to send notification of termination of supply of some or all of its services to the telecommunications authority; b Failing to notify service users or related parties of termination of supply of telecommunications services or failing to publish the same on means of mass media before the termination date.

A fine ranging from VND 50,, to VND 70,, shall be imposed on a telecommunications enterprise that holds essential facilities or a dominant market position, or provides public-utility telecommunications services for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to submit an application for approval for termination of supply of telecommunications services due to business closure to the Ministry of Information and Communications; b Terminating the supply of telecommunications services due to business closure or terminating the supply of some or all of telecommunications services without a written approval from the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Violations against regulations on operational communication 1. A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for failure to provide detailed regulations on entities, scope and using frequency, or failure to promulgate regulations on management of internal operational communication. A fine ranging from VND 30,, to VND 50,, shall be imposed for failure to strictly comply with regulations on management of internal operational communication.

Violations against regulations on directory assistance services 1. A fine ranging from VND 5,, to VND 10,, shall be imposed for failing to meet one of service quality standards when rendering service. A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Refusing to give assistance service for lookup of fixed-line telephone numbers of telecommunications enterprises which are included in public telephone directories; b Failing to establish assistance methods for lookup of fixed-line telephone numbers as prescribed; c Failing to provide or improperly providing backup services; d Putting information about name or address or other relevant information of a subscriber, who refuses to carry out the registration of subscriber information, into public telephone directories.

A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Failing to ensure capacity or time of providing trunking gateway connected to service system; b Failing to ensure operating time or failing to provide sufficient information in comparison with service database; c Failing to route calls to the service system; d Failing to provide the fixed-line subscriber database including name, address, telephone numbers and other relevant information to service providers.

A fine ranging from VND 30,, to VND 50,, shall be imposed for failure to provide free of charge public telephone directories to fixed-line subscribers.

Violations against regulations on emergency telecommunications services and troubleshooting support services for fixed-line telephone numbers A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: 1. Failing to ensure the access by users to emergency telephone numbers or troubleshooting support services for fixed-line telephone numbers. Failing to give notice of emergency telephone numbers to users or failing to post such numbers in public telephone directories.

Violations against regulations on change of telecommunications subscriber numbers 1. A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed for failing to notify the change of telecommunications subscriber numbers on means of mass media at least 60 days before the change. A fine ranging from VND 20,, to VND 30,, shall be imposed for failing to formulate and implement the plan for change of telecommunications subscriber numbers or formulating a plan inconsistently with the telecommunications numbering scheme or plans for change of telecommunications subscriber numbers approved by Ministry of Information and Communications.

A fine ranging from VND 30,, to VND 50,, shall be imposed for the commission of one of the following violations: a Changing telecommunications subscriber numbers without a written approval from a telecommunications authority as prescribed; b Failing to adopt technical measures to minimize the connection failure before, during and after the change of telecommunications subscriber numbers; c Failing to publish a notification on means of mass media before changing telecommunications subscriber numbers; d Failing to give instructions on dialing method after changing telecommunications subscriber numbers; dd Failing to send written reports on change of telecommunications subscriber numbers to the telecommunications authority.

Violations against regulations on conclusion of standard form contracts or contracts containing general terms and conditions, retention and use of subscriber information 1. A fine ranging from VND 10,, to VND 20,, shall be imposed upon a mobile telecommunications service provider for the commission of one of the following violations which involve 01 — 10 SIM cards: a Providing services to a subscriber with insufficient or inaccurate subscriber information; b Failing to enter into a standard form contract with a person who uses 4 prepaid subscriber numbers or more.

A fine ranging from VND 80,, to VND ,, shall be imposed on the legal representative of the mobile telecommunications service provider for: a Failing to arrange personnel and technical facilities to ensure the access to the centralized database of the service provider for inspecting subscriber information at the request of a competent authority; b Failing to establish internal procedures for reviewing and checking subscriber information stored in the centralized database.

Instead, when proposals are received, the contracting officer must obtain a wage determination for each location where the contract might be performed, as indicated by potential suppliers. The wage determination that applies to the successful potential supplier must be included in the contract. If DOL finds this impracticable, it may issue a composite wage determination.

The e98, if not already submitted, must be submitted promptly and explain the need for immediate award. Any wage determination received in response must replace the earlier wage determination. The contracting officer will receive an e-mail giving instructions to submit a copy of each collective bargaining agreement along with any related documents specifying wages and fringe benefits that will apply to the contract.

If the contract action involves noncompetitive procedures or the exercise of an option or renewal, any revision of a wage determination received after award is not effective if performance begins within thirty days after award; otherwise, any revision received at least ten days before performance begins is effective.

If the contracting officer questions the applicability of the Act to the contract, the contracting officer must forward the matter for resolution to assigned counsel.

If it is determined that the Act is not applicable to the contract, the contracting officer must advise DOL of the basis for this determination. No further action is needed unless the Secretary of Labor disagrees and issues a final determination that the contract is in fact subject to the Act. In that case, the contracting officer must incorporate the applicable wage determination and attempt to negotiate an equitable price adjustment. When omitted classifications or classifications not previously contemplated are found necessary after award, they, along with the appropriate wage determination, must be incorporated into the contract following the procedures in Clause Service Contract Act.

The following requirements apply to contract awards under the Act:. Eastern Time. General questions about the Act may also be directed to any regional office of the Employment Standards Administration, Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor. A violation of Clause Service Contract Act or Clause Service Contract Act — Short Form makes the responsible party liable for the sum of any deductions, rebates, refunds, or underpayments due to employees.

At the written request of a district director or above , as much of the accrued payment due on the contract or any other contract between the supplier and the Postal Service that has not been assigned must be withheld as is necessary to pay the employees.

Withheld sums must be kept in an escrow fund. If the withheld payments are insufficient to reimburse the underpaid employees, this fact must be reported to the General Accounting Office for possible setoff , the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor, and the Department of Justice.

The United States may bring an action to recover the remaining amount. Any sums recovered must be held in the escrow fund and paid, on order of the Secretary of Labor, directly to the underpaid employees.

If the contract is terminated, the Postal Service may enter into other contracts or arrangements to complete the work, charging any additional costs to the terminated supplier. Unless the Secretary of Labor recommends otherwise, Postal Service contracts may not be awarded to any violator on the list or to any firm, corporation, partnership, or association in which such violator has a substantial interest for three years from the date the list was published.

Minimum wage rates are determined by the Secretary of Labor on the basis of prevailing wage rates. The Copeland Act makes it unlawful to force laborers or mechanics to give up any part of their compensation except for permissible deductions such as taxes and union dues. This act allows for the operation of food service and vending facilities by the blind on Federal properties to expand the economic opportunities of the blind, and for other purposes.

Postal facilities are to include space for vending facilities operated by or on behalf of the blind. Blind suppliers licensed under the provisions of the Randolph-Sheppard Act or by a state licensing agency must be given priority for the operation of food vending services in Postal Service facilities. The Miller Act required contract surety bonds on Federal construction. The Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act requires that certain contracts contain a clause specifying that no laborer or mechanic doing any work under the contract may be required or permitted to work more than 40 hours in any workweek unless paid at least one and one-half times the basic rate of pay for all overtime hours.

A violation makes the supplier liable for liquidated damages. Lease agreements, being subject to Reorganization Plan No. Clause Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act — Overtime Compensation is incorporated by reference in Clause Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Policies, Statutes or Executive Orders and must be checked off by COs for all contracts, lease agreements, and ordering agreements that may involve the employment of laborers or mechanics, except:.

Under 39 U. The Postal Service may purchase supplies from firms employing persons on parole or probation under the conditions set forth in Executive Order EO , December 29, , as amended, which the Postal Service has elected to follow. Except for purchases from Federal Prison Industries, Inc. Price and delivery terms must be reasonable compared with those available in the commercial marketplace as determined by market research or other means not involving obtaining competitive proposals.

Supplies and services available from Federal Prison Industries are listed in its Schedule of Products brochure. Applicability must therefore be determined annually until the contracts or agreements become subject to the Act. The Secretary of Labor may allow exceptions to the requirement that the representations and stipulations of the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act be included in contracts. The Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act requires that certain contracts for the manufacture or furnishing of supplies must incorporate the Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act requirements by reference.

The Freedom of Information Act FOIA provides the public with a right of access to records hard-copy and electronic that are maintained by Federal agencies, including the Postal Service.

The FOIA contains exemptions that authorize the withholding of certain information. For additional information, visit w ww. The Fair Labor Standards Act provides for minimum wages and maximum work hours, and it appoints the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor to interpret and enforce the Fair Labor Standards Act including investigating and inspecting general suppliers. The Fair Labor Standards Act applies to all employees with some exceptions engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, the production of supplies for such commerce, or any closely related process or occupation essential to such production.

It also prohibits oppressive child labor. Suppliers or their employees who inquire concerning the applicability or interpretation of the Fair Labor Standards Act must be advised that rulings fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor and must be referred to the Regional Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, Department of Labor.

The Privacy Act provides privacy protections for personal information maintained by Federal agencies. When an agency maintains a system of records, it must publish a notice that describes the system in the Federal Register. The notice must document how the agency manages personal information within the system. Viet Nam. Arts Entertainment. Health Education. Hai also said the State should build a strategy for the development of human resources within the larger scheme to improve Vietnam 's postal services.

Vaccines save lives. Sick postal workers, not shots in arms, is what will hurt the Postal service and customers. Fire DeJoy," the congressman declared in an emailed statement. The potential showdown between the White House and one of the government's biggest agencies comes ahead of the Supreme Court hearing arguments on the issue on Friday.